Pile fabric and method for producing the same



F. KocH Y 2,252,433 PILE FABRlQ AND METHOD OR vPRODUCING THE' SAMEAug-12, 1941.A

Filed March 14, 1940 s sheets-sheet 1 m V m F. KOCH Aug. 12, 1941. i

' PILE FABRIC AND METHOD FOR nonucms THE SAME Filed March 14, 1940 3Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENT OR Aug l2, 1.941- F. KOCH 4 PILE FABRIC ANDMETHOD FOR PRODUCINQ THE SAME Filed March 14,1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3VPatented Aug. 12, 1941 pier-ENT 'c1-msg y' A 7: PILE rAmcANpMErnon'FoitR'onUoiNo`1l =f .'rnnsAME Fritz Koch, Derby, Conn., miglior. to SidneyBlumenthal& Co. Inc., New York,.N. Y., a corporaf tion of New .York

` Application March 14,1940, serial'Naszassi v15 claims. -(ci.139397)vthe ,finished fabric against pushing or pulling out or dislodgment whenthe fabric is in use as,

for instance, when' it is serving as motor vehicle upholstery.

l Another object is to ,provide for the manufacn ture of such a fabricin `which the pile Vlsare held in position in Athe ground without the.use of extra threads suchas stuifer or .cover warps, and without theuse of any cementitious binding material. 2 y

Another object is to provide for the manufacture of such a fabric in`which ground Warp threads are woven so as to overlie the bights of thepile Vs and thereby secure the latter against dislodgrnent in-use, asalready indicated.

Another object is to provide for the manufacture of such a fabric inwhich ground warp threads are Woven so as to overlie-not only the bightsof the pile Vs but also other ground Warp threads, and are looped undercertain weft threads in order rmly to bind the pile V.s into the groundand prevent their dislodgment from correct position when the fabric isin use.

Another object `is to provide for the manufacture of such a` fabric inlwhich ground warp threads are Woven in a zig-zag line so as to have fportions which lie substantially in a weft-Wise direction and overliebightsofthe pile Vs.

Another object is to provide for the manufacture of such a fabric inwhich ground Warp` threads are Woven as just described and also underlieweft threads located intermediate the pile Vs; l

Another'objectis to provide for `the'manufacture of such a fabric inwhich ground warps are interwoven with relation to wefts, other groundwarps and pile Vs :so as greatly to 'strengthen the fabric withoutreducing its iiexibility.

Another object is to provide for the manufacture. of such a fabric by amethod involving a n'ovel adaptation' of the principle of leno Weav.`ing. l

Another object is to providefor the manufactureof such a fabric throughthe provision of novel, apparatus fitted to Iacconplish the above Y'named objects'in a loom operatingonthe double shuttle principle.

- A further object 'consists .in providing :certain improvements in theform, construction, material and --arrangement of the fabric andapparatus elements, and in the steps `followed in the method of"production, y whereby the above named and Vother objects may effectivelybe attained. A practical embodiment of means for produc-` ing thisfabric and embodiments of two such' fab# ric weaves arel represented inthe accompanying drawings. in which t Fig. 1 represents a detail,largely diagram-` matical, view of certain parts o f weaving" apparatusand yarn in position for accomplishingone w step of the method orprocedure of manufacture; Fig. 2 represents a similar view Withthepartsoi' the fabric Weave accomplished by the opera ations represented inFigs. 1 to 4 inclusive;

, Fig. 6 represents a section taken in the planeof the line VI--VI ofFig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows:

Fig. 7 represents a section taken in the plane 4.of the line VII-VII ofFig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 represents a view similar to Fig.;5 but showing amodied form ofweave; and l s Fig. 9 represents a. section taken in the plane of theline IX-IX of Fig. 8, looking in the direction of the arrows.4

AIt is well recognized in this art that cut Vpile fabrics have importantcharacteristic advantages that reside chiefly in the excellent pilecoverage; in economy of pile material, which is frequently expensive;andin simplicityi of weave. On the other hand there is an equally wellrecognized I disadvantage in this typeof fabric as compared,

for instance, with cut W-pile fabric, consisting inthe fact that,especially when submitted to `frictionalwear as in the caseof vehicle orfurniture upholstery,y the pile Vs become disturbed in position.dislodged, and often entirely pushed or'pulledout of the` fabric ground.To over- 'come vthis disadvantage, the art long ago vresorty ed to theinclusion in the fabric of extra ground warps whichwere called byvarious names such as stuffer war-ps or cover warps, and which served`th` Dllrpo'se of binding-and crowding the pile Vsl *soas .to` causethem to retain their position in 'the lfabric-ground. This expedient, ofcourse,

involved large addedexpense in material, labonl ground, lbytheapplication to the back of the fabric of a cementitious bindingmaterial, such, for instance, as rubber or pyroxylin; as set forth inUnited States Patent to Leonard L. Crabtree No. 2,007,078, dated July2,1935. This last named procedure has been eminently successful but ithas, of course, involved a certain expensefor material and laborrelating to the application of the cementitious material.

According to my present invention. both the above named procedures forimproving the cut V-pile fabric are eliminated, and the pile Vs arefirmly secured in position` in the ground without the use of any extrathreads or any cementitious binding agent, By the expedient ofinterweaving certain of the normal ground warps in a novel relationshipto the other threads, I am able to accomplish this important function asWell as to increase the general strength of the fabric and theresistance of its other warp and weft threads to displacement.

In the accompanying drawings which include representations of apparatussuitable for carrying out my invention there are shown, for the sake ofclarity, only those parts to which reference need particularly be made,because the other associated parts are well understood by those versedin this branch of theart as to form, construction, arrangement andoperation.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, al pile yarn' is denoted by I andis threaded through a heddle 2 which latter is connected to any suitableoperating mechanism for the purpose of floating the pile back andforth-between the upper and lower fabrics beingwoven on a double shuttleloom,

' and shedding the said pile yarn so that it will lie around alternatewefts or picks as the upper and lower shuttles are shot through theloom. It will be understood, of course, that a large number of such pileyarns are arranged across the loom to be operated in the same manner andthat only a single one is here shown in order to avoid encumbering thedrawings.

Upper and lower ground warps 3, 4 are threaded through heddles', 3,which latter are also connected with suitable actuating mechanism as iscommon practice in this art, to be shedded and interwoven with the weftthreads in the usual manner for the formation of the grounds of theupper and lower fabrics being woven. As in the case`of the pile yarn I.it'will here also he understood that these ground warps 3 and 4 areduplicated in large number across the loom for the formation of thefabric webs.

Two more ground warps 1, 3 are threaded through ilxed heddles 8, Ill.These ground warps 1, 8 are, however. also threaded through doup needlesI I, I2 that may have the usual spring. rod and shaft, or other suitableconnection for moving them in directions opposite to the motionsimparted to them by their heddles I3, I4. The needles I I. I2 arepreferably of the standard form commonly used in lenb weaving and theirarms I6, I3, I1, I8 lie between the members I8,

28, 2L 22 of the heddles I3, I4, which members -are interlaced as isusual. through slots 23, 24,

antenas The general mechanical construction of the parts to whichreference has just been made is set forth in United States patent toJacob Kaufmann No. 1,037,151, dated August 27, 1912, but my apparatusembodies a new form of heddle for the doup needles residing particularlyin the fact that each heddle I3, I4 is designed andv shaped foroperative interconnection with both the upper and lower doup needles Il,I2, so as to intermittently actuate the needles against their connectingsprings or other mechanism for the purpose of imparting the desiredmovements to the ground warps 1,` 8 in the upper and lower fabrics andwith respect to the pile yarn I that is being interwoven, as aboveindicated, with both grounds and oated therebetween. l

In addition to the novelty in the form of the heddles I3, I4, they arealso positioned in a novel arrangement with respect to the needles il,I`2, notably in that one needle has its head or eye through which theyarn passes extending downwardly, while the other needle has its head oreye extending upwardly, with the result that the heddles I3, I4 serve topull one needle downwardly and the other needle upwardly at intervals toaccomplish the desired weaving motions in both the upper and lowerfabrics. So far as I know, no apparatus has previously been devised forperforming leno movements or any variations or adaptations thereof inthe upper and lower fabrics being woven in a double shuttle loom.

From the foregoing description, it will be clear that the ground warps 3and 1 are intended to be shedded and interwoven in the upper fabric,

and the ground warps 4 and 8 to be shedded and 4 interwoven in the lowerfabric, while the pile yarn I is shedded and interwoven with both upperand lower fabrics as is customary in double shuttie looms weaving pilematerials. It should also be noted that, as will be observed, the pileyarn I is shown in the drawings so as to have a somewhat diiferentappearance from the ground warps, and the ground warps 3, 4 have a some'what different appearance from the ground warps 1, 8. This has-been doneto facilitate reading of the drawings wherein the yarnstake differentpositions in the first four figures, and is not intended as anindication of any particular characteristic with respect to thematerial, or composition, or twist of the different yarns.

The movements of the parts to perform the weaving operation will now bedescribed; and it will, at the outset, be seen that, in the positionsrepresented by Fig. 1, the ground warps 3 and 1 are shedded in the upperfabric so that weft or pick 21 may be shot through by its shuttle in theusual way. Likewise, ground warps 4 and 8 and pile yarn I are shedded soas to permit the insertion of weft or pick 28 below warp 4 and abovewarp 8 and pile vI in the lower fabric. Ground warp 3 lies in front ofground warp 1 and pile warp l lies in front of ground warp 8. All thethreads or yarns pass between the doup needle heddles, being behindheddle I3 and in front of heddle I4.

Turning now to Fig. 2 which illustrates the next step in operation, itwill be observed that heddle I4 has moved upwardlythus permitting doupneedle II to be raised by its controlling mechanism and carry warp 1into the top position in the upper shed in which it is bound morecompletely around pick 21. Heddle i has moved downwardly so as to carrywarp 3 into the bot- Heddle 2 hasbeen elevated so as to bring the pile Ifrom the bottom position in the lower shed tothe top position in theupper shed which -causes it to forma V-bight around pick 23 and also tobe shedded for the insertion of an additional pick 29 in the upperfabric between the pile and the`warp 3,. Along with the movements justdescribedthe heddle has been depressed to carry warp 4 into the bottom'position in the lower shed, while heddle I3 has been elevated and moveddoup needle I2 with warp l upwardly i'n front of warp 4 so as to form alower shed for the insertion of a further pick 30. -This last namedmovement of doup needle .I2 not 'only brings warp from a position inback of warp 4 to a-positionin front of the latter, b ut it also forms acovering bend over the pile bight lying underneath pick 28, ashereinabove mentioned, thus binding the said pile bight firmly inpositionagainst the said pick.

Fig. 3 illustrates the next step in the weaving tothe other of the pileland the warps 3 and 4 respectively. v'I'ljiese movements produce aninterweaving bearing some resemblance to a leno effect because the picksare shot through sheds formed betweenthe warps and the pile, asalneedles II, |-2.

operation, from which it will be seen that heddle `2 has moveddownwardly so as to bring the pile to the bottom `position of thelowershed and cause it to form a bight around the top of pick 29; whileheddle 6 has moved upwardly to carry with the movements just described,heddle l has Y carried warp 4 into the top position of the lower lshedand doup-needle II has carried warp 3 into the lower position, whereuponanother pick` 32 is shot through above the pile and warpV 8V and belowwarp 4,

In the next step represented in Fig. 4, the heddle E has moveddownwardly so as to bring warp 3 into 'the bottom position ofthe uppershed and causeg-it to bend around the top of pick 3|, while heddle 2 hasraised the pile into the top position of the top shed and heddle I3 haspermitted doup needle to be raised by its actuating mechanism and carrywarp 1 upwardly in front of the pile; in which position a further pick33 is shot through the shed above warp 3 and below the pile and warp 1.The last named lby heddle I4 which carries the needle upwardly in backof warp 4 as thelatter is depressed by 'I'he movements hereinabovedescribed and villustrated in Figs.' 1 -to 4 inclusive, represent thecompletion of onerepeat ofthe weave, and it will be understood that,while I have described the operations as though all of the picks namedwere inserted consecutively, the actual operation will LAwhich cuts thepile floats intermediate the upper and lower grounds, the construction,arrangement and operationof the knife being well understood in thisindustry and requiring no illus-1 tration or description." Although thepile in each of the severed fabrics now has the form of Vs each ofwhichis looped around only a single weft or pick, the said vVs arefirmly sec'ured in position and against dislodgment or pushing orpulling out of the fabric grounds by the bends of the warps 1, 8 whichhave been manipulated by the doup needles and heddles as above setforth.

the downward movement of heddle 5, thus forming a shed for the insertionof an'additional pick 34 between the warps 4 and 8.

As clearly appears'from the drawings, and as already. mentioned, theheddle I3 is ini front of all the yarns or threads while `the heddle I4is in back of them. Hence, when the doup needle v I| is moved downwardlyor the doup needle I2 moved upwardly by the heddle I3, the-said neeazigzag weaving or positioning ofthe warps 1` and 8 since they-pass rstto one side and then The arrangement of the threads in plan view is wellshown in Fig. 5 which represents the top or back of the-upper fabric aswell as the bot'tom or back of the lower fabric, because both are alike.Assuming this view'to show the top or back of the upper fabric, thenumerals I, 3 and 1` denote the pile and the upper shed ground warps towhich reference has heretofore Abeen made. The wefts or picks woven inone repeat of this fabric Vare given their previous numbers 21, 2li,` 3|land 33.` Examination of this- View will show that the pile I is loopedaround alternate picks 29, 33 etc.; that the ground warp 3 is interwovenwith the picks, going over and under thern in alternation as is usual;and tha-t the ground warp 1, which has been manipulated by the doupneedle II and the heddles I3, I4, passes under pick 21 in a warp-wisedirection, then-,over pick 29' and the bight of pile I in substantiallya weft-fwise direction, although at an angle thereto; then under pick 3|in a warp-wise direction; then over pick 33 and the bight of 'pile I inan angular weft-wise direction which is similar but opposite to theangularity of the warp 1 when passing over pick 29 and bight of pile Ijust mentioned. This angular zigzag course of the warp`1 continuesthroughout the length of 'the fabric; and the just described arrangement-the pilefloats are severed is-shown in section in Fig. 6 looking in awarp-wise direction, and in section in Fig. '7 looking in a weft-wisedirection;

from which figures, in addition to those previously descr d. theinterweaving or interlacing and tyingeffect of the threads or yarns Asthewin be evident, and from which it be seen that the ground warps 1 and8 not only overlie the pile bights so as to hold the Vs in positionafter the floats have been severed, 'but also act to hold the otherground warps. wefts and the with the use of extra threads or anchoringor cementitious material, while improving the characteristics of thefabric in several respects. On

' the other hand, it should be emphasized that pile in correct relativecontiguity as originally woven, thereby preventing undesirabledisplacement of any of the threads by movements in the plane of thefabric, which displacement, if it occurred, would tend to militateagainst the uniformity of the fabric.

As previously indicated, Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings showonly two ground warps, with the appropriate picks,v for each fabric,upper and lower, and one pile which is interwoven with the two fabricsand floated therebetween.

As also previously indicated, the fabric resulting from the interweavingof the said threads, with their necessary duplication in the other dentsof the loom, is illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7.

While such a fabric is practical. I feel that! it will be desirable inmost cases to include an additional ground warp for each dent of eachfabric, upper and lower, inv order to improve the .balance and generalconstruction of the fabric.

This modification is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, in which anadditional ground warp Il is interwoven in the same way as 'the groundwarp 3 in the upper fabric; and an additionalfground warp 36 isinterwoven in the Same way as the ground warp A in the lower fabric.This provides a ground warpv on each side of the pile running inastraight warp-wise direction, and

this invention in its broad aspect is applicable not only tothe weaveconstructions shown in the drawings,`but also to various other forms ofpile fabrics, the significant feature being that ground warp threads areinterwoven so as to overlie pile bights and hold the bights in position,regardless of the particular arrangement of the bights or the number andform of intert weaving of the other warp and weft threads.

It will be understood that various changes may be resorted to in theform, construction, ar-

, threads, ground weft threads and pile tufts, certain of the warpthreads being interwoven so as to extend angularly in a combinedweft-wise and Warp-wise direction over the bights of the pile the zigzagwarps 1 and 8 which are actuated by the doup needles, and their heddlesso as to bind in the pile bights, span in their weft-wise extent thepile bights and the warps on each side thereof which, as just noted, arenumbered l and in the upper fabric, and 4 and 36 in the lower fabric.l

The arrangement of heddles and other loom mechanism for interweavingthese ground warps 35 and 36 is so well understood in the art that theris` no call for illustrating or describing the same further than hasbeen illustrated and. described in connection with the operatingmechanism for warps 3 and l, it being sufilcient to note that the warps$5 and 35 are interwoven like the warps 3 and I, respectively, althoughthey may, of course, be arranged so as to pass around each pick onopposite sidesthereof, 'instead of on the same side as shown in Figs. 8and 9, by mere adjustment of the shedding mechanism, which is wellunderstood and commonv practice in this art. It should be addedthatthese warps 35 and 3l, if used. are not to be considered as extra oradditional threads in the sense that the stuffer'or cover warpshereinabove referred to were extra or additional threads: because thisform of fabric illustrated in Figs. 8

Vand 9 contains no more warp threads than have customarily been used inV-pile fabrics that were not provided with stui'fer or cover warps orthe like. These warps I5' and are merely for the' purpose of improvingthe general construction or balance of the fabric in a way analogous tothe interweaving of ground warps in known fabrics.

.In both forms of fabric the securing of the pile Vs in position isobtained, not by the employment of additional threads or of anyanchoring or cementing application but. on the other of the pile tufts,other warp threads and certain` and interweaving certain warp threads soas to hand, by the novel interweaving of one `of the tufts on the backof the fabric and to underlie weft threads intermediate the pile tufts.

2. A pile fabric comprising, ground Warp threads, ground weft threadsand pile tufts, certain of the warp threads being interwoven in a zigzagwarp-wise course so as to overlie bights of the pile tufts and otherwarp threads on the back of the fabric and to underlie weft threads.

3. A pile fabric comprising, ground Warp threads, ground weft threadsand pile tufts, cerf tain of the warp threads being interwoven in azigzag warp-wise course so as to overlie bights weft threads on the backof the .fabric and to underlie other weft threads.

4. A method of weaving pile fabric including; interweaving warp and weftthreads to form a ground, interweaving pile threads in said ground,

cause them to pass to and fro weft-wise across and over the bights ofcertain pile threads.

5. A method of weaving pile fabric including; interweaving warp and weftthreads to form a ground, interweaving pile threads in said ground, andinterweaving certain warp threads so as to cause them to passvto and froweft-wise across and over .the bights of certain pile threads and acrosscertain other warp threads.

6. A method of weaving pile fabric including; interweaving warp and weftthreads to form a ground, interweaving pile threads in said ground, andinterweaving certain warp threads so as to cause them to pass to and froweft-wise across and over the bightsk of certain pile threads and acrosscertain other warp threads and underneath certain weft threads at points\on both sides of .the pile threads.

'7. 'A method of weaving pile fabric including; interweaving warp andweft threads to form a ground, interweaving pile threads in said ground,and interweaving certain warp threads so as to cause them to pass to andfro weft-wise across and over the bights of certain pile threads andacross certain other warp threads and underneath certain weft threads atpoints on both fle (liuAJA sides of the pile threads and said other warpweft-wise and warp-wise' direction over the pilev form upper' and lowergrounds, interweaving.

pile threads in both grounds and floating them between the grounds. andinterweaving certain warp threads so as tocause them to pass to and froweft-wise across certain pile threads.

10. A method of weaving double pile fabric including; interweaving' warpand weft threads to \i'orm upper andlower grounds, interweaving pilethreads in both vgrounds vand`fioating them between the grounds, andinterweaving certain.

warp threads so as'to cause them to pass to and fro weft-wise acrosscertain pile threads and certain other warp threads.

11. A method of weaving double pile fabric inciuding: intel-weaving warpand weft threads to form upper and lower grounds, interweaving pilethreads in both grounds andoating them between the grounds, 'andinterweaving certain warp threads so as to cause .them to pass to andfro weft-wise across certain pile threads and undemeath certain weftthreads at points on both sides of the Pile threads.

12. A method of weaving double pile fabric including; interweavlng warpand wett'threads to form upper and'lower groundainterweaving Dilethreadsin both grounds and floating-them between the grounds. and interweavingcertain ascuas weaving certain warp threads with other warp threads inthe ground. whereby said .cross-woven warp threads overlielthe bights ofwarpthreadssoastocause themtopasstoand fro weit-wise acres certain pilethreads and certain other warp threadsy and underneath certain weitthreads at points on both sides of the pile threads and said other warpthreads.

13. A method of weaving pile fabric including; 4shedding ground warpsand inserting picks to the pile threads in the ground in a combinedweft-wiseand warp-wise direction. I

14. A method of weaving double pile fabricv including; shedding groundwarps and inserting picks to form upper and lower grounds, oating a pilethread from one 'ground' to the other, intermittently shedding said pilethread with' one of the warp threads in each ground and cross- Weaving`a warp thread with respect to another warp thread in each ground,whereby said crosswoven warp threads `overlie the bights of the' pilethread in each ground in a combined weft-wise and warp-wise direction.Vv l 15. A method of weaving double pile fabric including; sheddingground warps and inserting picks to form upper and lower grounds, oatingpile threads from one ground to the other, intermittently shedding saidkpile threads with warp threads in each ground and cross-weaving certainwarp threads with respect to other warp threads in each ground, wherebysaid crosswoven warp threads overlie the bights of the pile threads ineach ground in a combined weftwise and warp-wise direction.

. 'FRITZKOCR

